Updates

The National Resources Defense Council’s Lane Burt sees the United States falling behind China and India in building efficiency and greenhouse gas reduction. In this podcast, he tells how to overcome market barriers and drive progress through carbon emission regulations like cap-and-trade or a carbon tax, along with policies like building energy labeling, efficiency codes, renewable energy...

How much difference does energy management make toward an organization’s energy efficiency actions? Apparently a great deal, according to a survey of 3,000 facilities decision makers conducted by the Institute for Building Efficiency. The 2010 Energy Efficiency Indicator survey found that organizations that monitored energy usage at least weekly using on-site measurement systems made about...

One of the most promising benefits derived from smart buildings and a smart grid is the coordination and integration of many types of energy resources. Renewable energy systems, energy storage, combined heat and power applications and a host of energy loads can now be tied together in a meaningful way. The result is a big reduction in energy and carbon footprint. As buildings become smarter, there...

It is well known that energy efficiency retrofits of buildings provide attractive and stable financial returns through energy, water and operational cost savings over a long period of time. McKinsey estimates that $1.2 trillion in potential annual energy savings can be achieved through $520 billion of energy efficiency investments over the next decade. However, despite these...

With China’s national energy use recently surpassing that of the United States and rising rapidly, energy efficiency in that country has become a high priority.1 Recent efforts by the Chinese government have sought to reduce energy consumption, with an emphasis on improving the efficiency of buildings. China’s National Development and Reform Committee (NDRC) has identified three...

Carbon reporting practices are becoming more widespread, supported by both voluntary and mandatory protocols. Early versions of Greenhouse Gas accounting protocols, such as the World Resources Institute Greenhouse Gas Reporting Protocol released in 2002, concentrate on greenhouse gases emitted directly onsite (scope 1) and those attributed to electricity consumption (scope 2).

Demand response (energy users adjusting consumption in response to signals from grid operators) has been employed in the electricity industry for decades. Common techniques include contracting with the owners of large industrial sites to require curtailment during emergency conditions in exchange for a lower electric rate, and installing switches that automatically cycle off residential air...

Technology transfer programs are a key component of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC). With new, clean technology, developing countries can grow their economies while slowing or stopping the growth of their greenhouse gas emissions over time. The challenge is in designing and establishing programs that will be environmentally and economically...

There is widespread support for deploying low-carbon sources of energy. However, when new, renewable and distributed energy technologies enter the electricity market, they are often not directly competitive with existing fossil-fuel based technologies.

The importance and relevance of demand response (DR) to the advancement of efficient and cost-effective grid management is undisputed. Successful programs can lead to more competitive electricity markets, cheaper responses to emergency system overloads, more efficient incorporation of distributed energy, increased reliability of supply, and greater information flow between the utility, customer...

What would be the impact of carbon legislation in the U.S., specifically a cap-and-trade system, on the heating, ventilation, air-conditioning, and refrigeration (HVAC&R) equipment manufacturing industry? Johnson Controls recently presented one perspective on the opportunities such a policy would create to the American Society of Heating, Refrigerating, and Air-Conditioning Engineers (ASHRAE).

Energy efficiency has long been an integral component of the European Union’s common energy policy. Though policy emphasis on energy efficiency has waxed and waned over the years in deference to shifts in overarching strategies and goals, the EU has once again made energy efficiency a top priority. Early in 2007, the EU proposed a new energy policy as a “first resolute step towards...

As the world’s most populous nation and one of its fastest growing economies, China must be included in any discussion of global energy demands and international efforts to curb greenhouse gas emissions.

Several experts from the Johnson Controls Institute for Building Efficiency, including Clay Nesler, Jennifer Layke, and Derek Supple, joined government, NGO and private sector leaders at the 32nd session of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) in Bonn, Germany. On the heels of the Copenhagen negotiations last November, this meeting discussed next steps for...

Most people have heard the familiar refrain from a parent or grandparent: “turn the lights off, close the door, you’re wasting energy.” In California and other places in the United States, proponents of energy efficiency are sending the same message. On April 8, 2010, the California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC) ruled that behavior-based efficiency programs will count toward...